The Red Sox’ brief resurgence against the Padres fizzled after they squandered a four-run lead on Sunday, deepening their ongoing slump. Their win in the series opener hinted at a turnaround, but back-to-back losses quickly brought back memories of their rough start. The collapse on Sunday, marked by late-inning runs allowed, summed up the team’s struggles, and Roman Anthony isn’t sugarcoating it anymore.
“We need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better. This is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to the fans. It’s unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves,” Anthony said after the game.
Surely, it’s unacceptable for the fans to see the Red Sox continue as the basement dweller in the AL East with a 2-7 record. On Sunday, there were no chances for the Red Sox to get away with a win. First, they had a 4-run lead till the 3rd inning. Then they tied the score with the Padres 6-6 by the seventh. Still, leaking runs in the 8th and 9th cost Boston the game and the series.
Roman Anthony makes it clear the way the Red Sox are playing is unacceptable.
“We need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better. This is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to the fans. It’s unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves.” pic.twitter.com/tazh4zcdJd
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) April 5, 2026
What’s only clicked on Sunday is the Red Sox’s offense. Contrary to their previous series against the Astros, where the offense couldn’t do anything, five sluggers from the Boston lineup scored runs on Sunday. Jarren Duran connected on a two-run double, Wilyer Abreu stretched out an RBI triple, and Masataka Yoshida added a two-out, run-scoring single. Anthony also added a run, but just then the pitching staff gave up.
Ranger Suarez started the game but pulled out after 4 innings, allowing 4 runs and just 2 SOs. The bullpen took over, but no one could stop leaking runs. With names like Garrett Crochet, Suarez, and Bryan Bello, Boston’s rotation should be a strength, but the club has the 27th-ranked starter ERA in the league at 5.19! On the other hand, the Red Sox actually have scored the third-fewest runs in the league to this point, with just 30.
So, Boston isn’t scoring runs or preventing them enough for Anthony to term it “unacceptable.” Even the fans are giving up. After the Padres won it in the 9th, “Sell the team” chants targeting the owner, John Henry, took over Fenway Park, and the fans can’t be blamed here.
“The Boston Red Sox fell to a major-league-worst 2-7 on Sunday, tying the weakest start through nine games in the franchise’s long history,” ESPN reported.
Moreover, the blame for their slow start in 2026 goes beyond just pitching and offense.
The Red Sox’s defense is more to blame
While the Red Sox’s offense and pitching are taking all the blame for not doing enough, their defense on the field is not far behind. Currently, they’ve committed the fifth-most errors and have the sixth-worst fielding percentage in baseball.
And the worst part is that the veterans are making the errors this year. For example, despite a strong spring at the plate, Trevor Story has struggled defensively, committing two errors in the first six games. And with that, the lack of awareness in the game had also cost games for the Red Sox. In a 9-2 loss to the Astros, home plate umpire Mark Wegner completely lost track of the count, and so did the Boston players.
Reportedly, Bello induced three consecutive swinging strikes, which should have ended the inning. But despite the clear strikeout, no one on the Red Sox protested, including Bello, catcher Connor Wong, and Cora. Smith eventually worked a nine-pitch walk, forcing Bello out of the game earlier than intended.
So, with the offense, pitching, and fielding all going wrong collectively, the AL East ranking shows just what is expected. “We still believe very, very strongly in this team,” Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow said on Sunday. The front office is still showing confidence. Let’s now see if the next series brings any hope for the fans.
